At least 56 civilians killed as Sudan battles rage for second day

KHARTOUM: Fighting in Sudan raged for a second day Sunday after battles between rival generals in control since their 2021 coup killed at least 56 civilians and wounded hundreds more people, sparking international alarm.

Deafening explosions and intense gunfire shook buildings in the capital Khartoum’s northern and southern suburbs as tanks rumbled on the streets and fighter jets roared overhead, witnesses said.

Violence erupted early Saturday morning after weeks of deepening tensions between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with each accusing the other of starting the fight.

Both sides claim they control key sites.

Daglo’s RSF say they have seized the presidential place, Khartoum airport and other strategic sites, but the army insist they are in charge, with the air force late Saturday urging people to stay indoors as it continued air strikes targeting RSF bases.

Footage obtained by AFP showed heavy smoke billowing from a building near the army headquarters in central Khartoum.

Created in 2013, the RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia that then-president Omar al-Bashir unleashed against non-Arab ethnic minorities in the western Darfur region a decade earlier, drawing accusations of war crimes.

The RSF’s planned integration into the regular army was a key element of talks to finalise a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the political-economic crisis sparked by the military’s 2021 coup.

“The total number of deaths among civilians reached 56,” said the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, an independent pro-democracy group of medics, adding there were “tens of deaths” among security forces, but they were not included in the toll given early Sunday.

The committee said it had counted around 600 wounded, including some among security forces, but that many casualties could not be transferred to hospitals due to difficulties in moving during the clashes.

Overnight, explosions and shots rang out throughout densely-populated areas of Khartoum.

On Sunday morning, the stench of gunpowder wafted through the streets, deserted except by soldiers as terrified civilians sheltered inside their homes.

“We had a very difficult night, and we couldn’t sleep well because of the sound of the explosions and gunfire,” said Ahmed Seif, who lives in east Khartoum with his family of five.

He said he fears his building was hit by gunfire, but said it was still too dangerous to go outside to check.

“The situation is very worrying, and it doesn’t seem like it will calm anytime soon,” he added.

Bakry, 24, who works in marketing, said Khartoum residents had “never seen anything like” this unrest, with the power out across much the city.